1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dye-sensitized solar cell fabricating kit for fabricating a dye-sensitized solar cell comprising a semiconductor electrode having a semiconductor layer carrying dyes, an opposite electrode disposed opposite the semiconductor electrode and electrolytic solution filling between the semiconductor electrode and the opposite electrode, a dye-sensitized solar cell and a method of using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dye-sensitized solar cell basically comprises a semiconductor electrode having a semiconductor layer carrying dyes, an opposite electrode disposed opposite the semiconductor electrode and electrolytic solution filling between the semiconductor electrode and the opposite electrode. A kit for fabricating a dye-sensitized solar cell has recently been proposed for use in school education or the like. JP-A-2004-264750 discloses such a dye-sensitized solar cell kit. The fabricating kit includes, as kit components, two transparent resin substrates (polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film) having surfaces which are coated with conductive layers (indium tin oxide (ITO)) respectively, semiconductor particles and a binder (carboxymethylcellulos (CMC)) both for forming a semiconductor layer, a sensitizing dye (ruthenium complex), electrolyte (lithium iodide and iodine) and a liquid retention member (nonwoven cloth).
A dye-sensitized solar cell is fabricated through the following process. Firstly, semiconductor particles are blended with water with dissolved binder so that a dispersion liquid is prepared. The dispersion liquid is applied to a conductive layer of one of the resin substrates and then heated and pressurized thereby to be formed into a semiconductor electrode. Subsequently, the semiconductor electrode is soaked in an ethanol solution containing a sensitizing dye so that a dye carrying process is carried out. On the other hand, a pencil tip is rubbed on a conductor layer of the other resin substrate, whereby an opposite electrode is formed. Furthermore, the electrolyte is dissolved in water so that an electrolytic solution is prepared. The liquid retention member is interposed between the conductor electrode and the opposite electrode, then being soaked in the aforesaid electrolytic solution, whereby a solar cell is configured.
A constant cell performance (a conversion efficiency at which solar light energy is converted to electric power) is achieved immediately after preparation. However, leakage or evaporation (volatilization) of the electrolytic solution progresses with lapse of time. Accordingly, the cell performance is deteriorated in a relatively shorter period (short period), whereupon the solar cell cannot stand long use.
In this case, it may be considered that the solar cell is configured so that the electrolytic solution is rendered difficult to leak and that the cell performance is recovered by compensating for the reduced electrolytic solution. However, the research conducted by the inventors shows that even when the same amount of electrolytic solution as an amount of leakage is re-supplied simply, the cell performance cannot always be recovered sufficiently as compared with an initial cell performance (conversion efficiency).